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Council directs staff to assess lighting, trimming and fixture options at Iroquois and State after residents cite safety concerns
Summary
Aldermen requested trimming, brighter fixtures or additional poles to improve visibility at Iroquois Street and State Avenue after residents and council members described the intersection as "pitch black;" staff and a ComEd representative agreed to inspect and pursue immediate tree trimming and potential fixture replacement.
Council members and residents urged action to brighten the intersection of Iroquois Street and State Avenue during the Jan. 7 meeting, citing crime and a recent homicide in the area. Alderman Stacy said the corner near Shalom Park is "pitch black" and asked the council to act to improve lighting.
Public works and ComEd representatives described options and constraints. City staff said they could trim trees within approximately 5 to 10 days (weather permitting) and check whether the city has a brighter fixture in inventory; replacement of a fixture on a ComEd-owned pole requires coordination and typically costs the city to purchase and install a different head unit. A ComEd representative said Freeport’s street lights had been converted to LEDs in most areas; replacing the head unit with a higher-lumen fixture would cost roughly $500 per fixture (staff estimate) and adding a new pole and tap to the electric system would be roughly $15,000 per pole. Staff proposed a targeted inspection of the intersection and agreed to perform tree trimming and, if available, a brighter fixture replacement as an initial step. If those steps do not sufficiently illuminate the block, staff said they would investigate adding another pole or lighting specific to the park.
Council members asked staff to conduct a ward-by-ward lighting survey and to prioritize locations identified by police as having safety concerns. A city/ComEd walk-through of the 5th Ward will be scheduled; staff said they would bring cost estimates and recommendations for broader action to council after the field assessment.
No formal ordinance or appropriation was adopted at the meeting; council directed staff to act on tree trimming and evaluate fixture replacement and additional poles if necessary.
